“We’ll take them home,” Rose answers. “I want you to take care of yourself.” She hands me a tissue.
Jason pulls his toes under him, then stands, bringing me up with him. He keeps an arm around me as we leave.
My father stands with Gary in front of the bank of elevators. I stop in my tracks as Father’s gaze locks on mine. I slip my arm around Jason. “Let’s take the stairs,” I mutter, not breaking eye contact with Father.
I wake with a start, clutching Jason’s shirt. He caresses my shoulder, talking in hushed tones with his arms wrapped around me.
My eyes open to Andrew sitting in the overstuffed chair with a beer in his hand. I prop myself up and look at Jason. “I slept all afternoon?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow,” I say, rubbing my face. I focus on Andrew. “Did it go okay?”
“It was more of the same. Len was good about getting the facts from us and Gary tried to tear it apart.”
I rest against Jason again. “I know he’s just doing his job, but he was an ass.”
Jason and Andrew break into hearty belly laughs.
“I don’t know if I can go back and watch.”
“You don’t have to. And you certainly don’t have to decide tonight,” Andrew says. “I’m going to see if Rose needs help with dinner. It’ll be just us. Damian and Arissa are having dinner with his parents tonight,”
“Okay. Holler if you two need help,” I offer.
“Sure thing, sweetheart.” He steps over and kisses my head, then tousles my hair.
I place my hand over Jason’s heart, steadily thump-thumping. I sit up, hand still on his chest. “You must need to get up and walk around.”
“Probably, but I liked holding you while you slept. It made me feel better.”
“I saw your reaction while I was on the stand. I haven’t seen you like that since the first party we went to at Damian’s.”
He sets his mouth in a straight line. “I didn’t like how he was twisting everything. Most of all, I didn’t like that I was right there and couldn’t do anything for you while you were up there.”
I stroke his face with my palm. “You don’t have to worry about me so much. I told you that before.”
“I just want your pain to end.” He brings my hand to his lips.
“J, I’m going to live with it the rest of my life. It may not be quite as agonizing in the future, but it will still be there.”
The corners of his mouth drop down and his forehead wrinkles.
“It’s okay, you know,” I add. “If I hadn’t been through all of that, I couldn’t appreciate you as much as I do.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
The verdict is in.
It’s my first time back in the courtroom in two weeks. I had no desire watch the rest of the trial.
Deliberation took two hours.
The judge hands the written verdict back to the tall blond bailiff, who then hands it to the jury foreman. “Please read us the verdict.”
The foreman’s ginger hair is slick from too much hair product. He clears his throat and reads the paper in his hand. “In the State versus Simon Parker, we the jury find the defendant guilty...” His voice is lost in the haze as he lists the counts and charges.
Relief floods my body and soothes the tension in my muscles. I cover my face with my hands as I hunch over, letting the tears fall freely and quietly. The judge orders, “Take the defendant into custody.” I bring my head up, watching as the metal cuffs grind and snap into place around his wrists. He does not look in my direction once.
Jason and Rose hug me and hands rub my back and arms from all directions. Len spins around and steps up to the wood barrier separating the main courtroom from the spectator benches.
I wrench myself away and throw my arms around Len. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
His arms circle around me. “It was my pleasure, Sara.” His eyes gleam as he lets go. “With all the medical records we gathered and my medical expert, I knew I had enough to convict. Your testimony helped immensely, showing the jury that your father was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.” He grasps my shoulder. “I’ll be in contact about your mother’s trial.”
Andrew and Rose take turns shaking his hand before he leaves the courtroom.